In third-year halls, their paths first crossed,
A Raven boy, a Blonde girl lost.
"Stay out of my way," she warned with a glare,
But something lingered in the frosty air.
Crimson with his scar and fame,
Emerald with her secrets untamed.
Two worlds ap...
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Aria's heart pounded fiercely as she and Harry helped Dumbledore onto the nearest boulder, back under the cool, starry sky. The weight of everything they had just experienced—the Inferi, the suffocating darkness of the cave—hung heavily on her, but there was no time to dwell on the horror. Dumbledore was barely standing, shivering and drenched, and it took both her and Harry's efforts to steady him. She gripped his arm tightly, feeling the tremors that ran through his body.
"Hold on, Professor," she whispered, more to herself than to him, as she closed her eyes and braced herself, focusing on their destination with every ounce of her willpower. She and Harry stepped forward, guiding Dumbledore, and she felt the uncomfortable squeeze of Apparition.
The moment her feet touched solid ground, she opened her eyes. They were in the middle of Hogsmeade's High Street. The air was cold, lacking the salty tang of the sea, but it was a relief all the same. All around them, the village was still, the silence stretching unnaturally, as if the world itself held its breath. Aria's pulse hammered in her ears as she scanned their surroundings, half-expecting to see Inferi slinking out of the shadows.
"We did it, Professor," Harry panted, relief and exhaustion mingling in his voice. "We got the Horcrux!"
But as he spoke, Dumbledore sagged against him, his pallor stark even in the dim light. Aria's breath caught as Dumbledore's frailty became painfully clear; his face was damp and ghostly, his eyes dim.
"Sir—are you all right?" Harry asked, his voice thick with worry.
"I've... been better," Dumbledore murmured, his usual strength gone, replaced by a weak, weary smile. "That potion... was no health drink..."
Aria's stomach twisted painfully as Dumbledore sank to the ground. She knelt beside him, her hands hovering helplessly over him, desperately wanting to help but not knowing how. "You're going to be all right, Professor," she said, her voice trembling with conviction she didn't quite feel. "We'll get you help—just hold on."
But her eyes met Harry's, and she saw her own dread mirrored there. She could see the panic flaring in him as he looked up and down the deserted street, his mind racing for a solution.
"We need to get him to the school, sir..." Harry said urgently, glancing back at Dumbledore. "Madam Pomfrey can—"
Dumbledore shook his head weakly. "No... Professor Snape," he rasped, his words barely audible. "It is Severus I need..."
Aria exchanged a worried look with Harry. She could tell that every instinct in him wanted to run to the castle, to find help immediately. But before he could take another step, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the street.
